Audio 4:30
Newspoll puts Coalition ahead

Samantha HawleyUpdated
Mon Aug 19 19:00:00 EST 2013

The Opposition Leader has spent the day campaigning in Sydney, mainly in the battleground in the west of the city. Mr Abbott also participated in a street walk, where he faced unscreened and non vetted voters.

Transcript

MARK COLVIN: Mr Abbott has spent the day campaigning in Sydney mainly in the battleground in the west of the city.

If he was exultant over today's Newspoll results showing the Coalition well ahead, he wasn't showing it.

But in a sign things were going well, Mr Abbott did participated in a rare so-called street walk where face unscreened and unvetted voters.

Samantha Hawley is travelling with the Opposition Leader and filed this report.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: The Sydney seat of Bennelong is John Howard's old stomping ground, and is now held by the former tennis champ John Alexander.

(Sound of applause)

The polls show it will go Mr Alexander's way, but there'll be a tough fight ahead.

That was on display this morning.

JASON YAT-SEN LI: We were told it was a small business breakfast to talk about small business.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Tony Abbott addressed a business breakfast in the seat before a small crowd of Liberal Party faithful.

But the Labor candidate Jason Yat-sen Li was also invited, and his staff clearly believed they'd been stitched up.

JASON YAT-SEN LI: We didn't realise it was a Liberal Party event.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: He did address the crowd, but then was confronted by Warwick, a local businessman.

WARWICK: You have leadership on your flyer, can you tell me the two important qualities of leadership that you have?

JASON YAT-SEN LI: Vision.

WARWICK: Okay, second one?

JASON YAT-SEN LI: Um, courage.

WARWICK: Okay, what about loyalty?

JASON YAT-SEN LI: Vision and courage. Loyalty?

WARWICK: Loyalty and self sacrifice?

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Politics just sometimes isn't nice.

But the Coalition does have reason to smile as it surges ahead in the opinion polls.

Newspoll shows Mr Abbott would have easily won the election if it was held over the weekend, with the Coalition leading Labor by 54 per cent to 46 on a two party preferred basis.

Voters are also warming to Mr Abbott, with his personal satisfaction rating on a steady increase.

(To Tony Abbott) Do you think you now have this election in the bag, given the state of the polls today?

TONY ABBOTT: Absolutely not. I've always said that the contemporary Labor Party are hopeless at government, but they are brilliant at low politics. And the lower the politics, the better they are at it. What we're obviously going to see is an absolute barrage of union funded negative advertising. I understand it's already started. And that means that this election is going to be a struggle.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: The Opposition Leader was back in western Sydney to announce a strengthening of jail terms for gun traffickers.

And he again stood side by side with the Liberal candidate Fiona Scott, who he described last week as having sex appeal.

After she finished making some remarks to the press this was Mr Abbott's response.

TONY ABBOTT: And at the risk, and at the risk of exciting anyone, can I just say, obviously from that answer, she ain't just a pretty face. Okay.

(Laughter)

FEMALE JOURNALIST: Have you apologised to Fiona Scott for the comments you made about her?

TONY ABBOTT: (Laughing) Yeah...

FEMALE JOURNALIST: And Fiona, have you been treated any differently by any people in the electorate?

TONY ABBOTT: Fiona?

FIONA SCOTT: There's no need to apologise for what is an absolute charming compliment between friends. So, look, I think it's a sad day when we - a man cannot compliment a woman in what is a charming compliment.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Given the Coalition's standing in the polls Mr Abbott's gaffes of last week clearly haven't turned voters off.

(Sound of pedestrian crossing alarm)

One if the criticisms of Mr Abbott's camp is the tightly scripted way his campaign is being run.

Today they took a risk, if only slight one, when Mr Abbott took part in a short street walk in Liverpool in Sydney's south west.

TONY ABBOTT: It's hard to get around at the moment because it's..

How are you there mate, good to see you?

Thank you so much Cathy, I really appreciate that.

LOCAL: Mr Abbott, I've got a question for you. I've got a question for you, can I ask a question?

OFFICIAL: What's your question?

LOCAL: How are they going to afford all the promises they make through the budget? Could you ask him that please?

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: A later press conference where Mr Abbott didn't take questions didn't go so well.

There was this minor slip:

TONY ABBOTT: Fortunately the former government - the current Government rather...

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: And then the Opposition Leader was confronted by an upset local.

LOCAL 2: Excuse me, I have a big problem. My family inside, big problem with the Liverpool Hospital. they are poisoned bY...